Drucker had already started dialing. He did not answer.
Lattimere Spitz slumped into the chair across from the ISA trio and motioned for Driver to take a seat. "I have to apologize, gentlemen," he began, "but under the circumstances we think it's necessary."
Miller, who had twice left the motel to make a telephone call and run an errand, had unplugged the small electronic eavesdroping device that had been monitoring the motel switchboard. For Bogner, that was a sign that Spitz was either ready to move on or call a halt to the operation.
"Unfortunately, the folks we are after have been just one jump ahead of us most of the day," Spitz continued. "Still, I think we've got enough to hang our hat on.
"First, we believe we know what happened to Dr. Schubatis. Jaffe's office, in conjunction with the FBI, has put together a pretty convincing scenario. It would appear that our Russian friend left Washington this morningin a casket, on a Northwest flight bound for Hong Kong with a stopover in Minneapolis. If our friends had continued on that flight, we probably would have been able to call the flight down before it got out of our territorial jurisdiction. But when the flight landed in Minneapolis, a Madam Yan who was accompanying the casket claimed to be ill. She got off the flight, had the casket removed, and it was picked up by a local funeral home. We've since ascertained that there is no such funeral home in either Minneapolis or Saint Paul."
Driver looked at Bogner. "The cagey bastards probably have him on another flight by now."
"Exactly," Spitz continued. "The FAA log shows that a small private cargo carrier left the Minneapolis Airport less than two hours after the casket was removed from customs. The carrier filed a flight plan for Winnipeg. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the rest."
Packer put down his pipe. "There was a flight out of Winnipeg for Hong Kong?"
"Canada Air, flight seventy-four," Spitz confirmed. "We've checked with their officials, obtained a copy of the passenger manifest, and as you might guess, the grieving widow is on board… and so is our friend Schubatis, still tucked away in his temporary casket."
"How do we know Schubatis is still alive?" Miller asked.
"They sure as hell wouldn't be going to all of this trouble if he wasn't," Spitz said.
"Can't we force it down?" Driver pressed.
"No authority," Spitz countered. "Besides, at this point, if we jerk the wrong chain, we could create the kind of international incident that would leave the President with his ass hanging out."
"So what happens now?" Packer asked.
Spitz cleared his throat. "The President has been in contact with Aprihinen. Aprihinen knows what we know… and, as you may have already guessed, he isn't buying itat least not all of it. Under the circumstances, however, he doesn't have a lot of options. Aprihinen's relations with the Kong Ho regime aren't a helluva lot better than ours. If he sends some of his muscle in there, the situation could worsen."
"I don't like where this is heading," Driver grunted.
"We've told Aprihinen we're going in after Schubatis," Spitz said.
Driver laughed. "What the hell are we supposed to do, march in there and tell Kong Ho to hand him over?"
"Earlier today we were able to confirm that the Su-39 is under wraps at the Danjia installation on the island of Hainan. Our contact can confirm two sightings. Best bet is that Kong Ho doesn't even know about it. So two plus two equals that's where they're taking Schubatis. Han Ki Po wants him. And lately, what Han Ki Po wants, Han Ki Po gets. The State Department says we have a helluva lot more to fear from Han than from Kong Ho."
"You still haven't told Harry and me where we fit in," Bogner reminded him.
"You're going in after Schubatis."
"Why two of us?"
"You get Schubatis, Toby, and, if at all possible, Harry flies the Su-39 out of there."
"Fly it out to where?" Driver laughed.
Spitz's expression didn't change. "Taiwan."
"Suppose Harry can't get it out of there? Then what?"
"Burn it," Spitz said. "We sure as hell don't want it left behind."
Bogner looked around the room. His initial reaction was that despite his admiration for the man, Colchin had lost his mind. His second thought was that it would take some kind of miracle to pull it off. "Harry and I are going to stick out like a couple of sore thumbs. How the hell are we supposed to move around over there? They're going to see a couple of Americans and either Kong Ho or Han Ki Po will have their people trailing us night and day."
Spitz smiled, reached down, picked up his briefcase, and dumped the contents on the table. "Show our friends what you've come up with," he said to Miller.
"Ever hear of the Jade cartel out of Toronto?" Miller asked.
"Arms dealers?" Bogner clarified.
"Exactly," Spitz confirmed. "We've traced them through every hot spot in the Middle East. They've boasted that there isn't anything they can't get their hands on. And they've got a reputation for delivering. Our sources have learned that Han Ki Po has expressed interest in widening his sphere of contacts. You'll be welcomed with open arms."
"What have we got that he wants?" Driver asked.
Spitz laid a thick computer printout on the table. "There's your inventory. It includes everything from a pair of Mirage IIIs to a couple of Bulagian MiG-23 BNs. And if that doesn't whet his interest, tell him you can produce just about anything he wants out of the U.S. bases in South Korea. To make it look realistic, you can offer him a deal on a couple of ancient Su-7 Fitters. Tell them they've been in your inventory quite a while, but that they still provide a stable weapon platform for low-level strikes and that your supplier is eagerno, motivated to find them a new home."
"What about armament?" Bogner said.
"Get familiar with your inventory, Toby. Knowing what Han Ki Po has already amassed, more than anything else we think he needs a few planes to launch his missiles."
"That Su-39 is a helluva start," Driver said.
"How about our cover?" Bogner asked.
Miller spread them out on the table. "Passports, credentials, even a letter of introduction. The rest of it is filclass="underline" pictures of the family, background profiles, prior sales. From here on out you're a couple of Canadian gun peddlers."
"Priorities?" Bogner asked.
"Schubatis is first priority. The Su-39 is second. If you can't fly it out of there, Harry, make damn sure no one else does."
"Suppose the real Jade contingent shows up while we're courting this guy Han."
"They won't," Spitz assured them. "The RCMP took both brothers into custody this afternoon. And as we speak, the offices in London and Cairo are being boarded up."
"When do we start?"
"The meter's running," Spitz said.
"I didn't like the way you phrased that."
"And I didn't like it when Aprihinen gave us seventy-two hours before he starts moving his own pawns."
Chapter Six
The chuzu qiche ride from Haikou Airport into downtown Haikou had taken no more than twenty minutes after Bogner and Driver finally located a taxi. Even their seventh-floor rooms at the Haikou Tower had been a pleasant surprise. They had most of the amenities: a telephone, closed-circuit television, a well-supplied minibar, mostly European stock, and the real bonus, an air conditioner. Bogner had been in China numerous times before; air-conditioning was a luxury.
Their flight had originated in Montreal and landed in Hong Kong. Now, a full three hours after, with the flight from Hong Kong to Haikou behind them, there was nothing to do but wait for Shu Li Wan, Spitz's contact. The Haikou's concierge had yet to get in touch with them.